Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light scanning apparatus, suitable for use in an image formation apparatus such as a laser beam printer (LBP), digital copying machine, multifunction printer and the like.
Description of the Related Art
There has been demand for a reduction in the size and cost of light scanning devices and image forming devices using the same. US2011/0080624 proposes configuring an imaging optical system using only one imaging lens (imaging optical element) in order to reduce the cost of an imaging optical system included in a light scanning apparatus. US2007/0127105 discloses arranging the scanning speed on a surface being scanned to be non-uniform in a light scanning apparatus having only one imaging lens, thereby enabling the thickness of the imaging lens to be reduced, while achieving good imaging performance by correcting field curvature.
However, the light scanning apparatuses in US2011/0080624 and US2007/0127105 require the imaging lens to be sufficiently distant from a deflector to achieve good imaging performance, so the width of the imaging lens is large. Accordingly, the size of the light scanning apparatuses cannot be significantly reduced, and the manufacturing cost per imaging lens is high.